Snowblind
by The Darklight Angel
Summary: A Frozen College AU fic. Anna and Elsa attend the same University; Anna is a freshman and Elsa is an architecture major. Anna thinks it's a shame that her sister is set to graduate without ever cutting loose. When she finds out that Elsa is a closeted lesbian, Anna takes it upon herself to set Elsa up on a series of disastrous blind dates to find her true love. Eventual Elsanna.
1. The Plan

**Snowblind**

* * *

_Chapter One: The Plan_

"You haven't _what_!?"

The piercing shriek echoed within the walls of the kitchen area, startling Elsa and nearly causing the woman to drop the Architecture textbook currently cradled in her hands. Almost jumping in surprise, the blonde's shock quickly turned to annoyance. Tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear and out of her blue eyes, the woman's mouth settled into a scowl as she turned to look at her companion.

Sitting across from her with her mouth still hanging open, was Elsa's sister, Anna. Her green eyes were nearly as wide as her open mouth, and her strawberry-blonde hair hung down, loose and mussed, obscuring her vision. Still though, Anna made no move to straighten her appearance - instead, she merely stared, goggling at her older sister.

Elsa tried to ignore the look on the younger woman's face, but found that she couldn't. Sighing, she folded the corner of her page to mark her place before closing her textbook and looking at Anna once again.

"Really, Anna?" The blonde scowled. "Is there any need to yell?"

"Um… yes?" Anna replied slowly, disbelievingly. "When it's this important-"

"Aren't you being a little over-dramatic ab-"

"-When it's nearly this _important_," Anna continued loudly, speaking over her sister's interruption, "I think it calls for a little yelling, don't you?"

Sighing once again, Elsa sat back in her chair. Running a hand through her platinum blonde locks once, the elder sister dropped her hands to her sides before crossing them over her chest.

"University isn't the sort of place for that anyways, Anna." She said firmly.

"For dating?" A slender brow arched upwards on Anna's face. "Really, Elsa?"

"Yes, really!" Cried Elsa, throwing her hands out to her sides, her exasperation showing plainly on her face. "University is a place for-"

"Yes, yes, I know." Anna rolled her eyes.

Getting up from her chair, Anna folded her arms behind her back. Straightening her posture and clearing her throat, the young woman began to pace around the kitchen of their shared apartment, speaking in a near-perfect imitation of her older sister's voice.

"University is a place of study, not socialization. When I was accepted here, I came here with the intent of learning, not needless fraternization. I thought when you were accepted here, you would think the same…"

The strawberry blonde paused as she came to stand next to her sister. As Anna looked down at her, Elsa saw the amusement in the corner of Anna's eyes, and the way her mouth quirked upwards in a small smile.

"I've heard it all before, Elsa." Anna said gently, finally returning to her own voice. "All from you, I might add."

"…Well." Elsa said lamely. "I'm pretty sure I said 'academia', not 'study', but-"

"You jerk!" Anna laughed, swatting at the older blonde, who was laughing herself.

Returning to her seat, still giggling, Anna settled down. When she was calm again, she rested her elbow on the table and propped her head up in her hand as she surveyed her older sister.

"Really though," The younger woman sighed, "I just think it's a shame that you're about to graduate and you've never once cut loose. I know how you feel about school, Elsa, and I know that too many people make you nervous - but don't you think you'll regret having gone through four years of University, never once having gone on a date?

"I mean, look at you!" Anna's green eyes swept across her sister's face as she motioned up and down the woman's body with her free hand. "You're gorgeous, Elsa. Not to mention charming, clever, fun…"

This time, it was Anna's turn to sigh. "Don't tell me that no guy has ever come up to you to ask you out?"

Elsa's heart leapt up into her throat as her gaze dropped onto the table. "Well, it's not like no one has ever asked, but…"

"But?" Anna pressed, mouth settling into a small frown. Elsa had kept in touch with her sister back in Arendelle before Anna had been accepted into University herself, but this was the first time she had ever heard any mention of potential suitors interested in wooing her sister.

"B-but, uh, I turned them d-down." Elsa stammered. Taking the mug full of tea sitting next to her closed textbook into hand, the older woman quickly took a sip. Keeping her eyes averted from her sister, she took another sip and hoped that Anna wouldn't notice the flush quickly spreading across her pale cheeks and neck.

It didn't work.

"You're blushing." Anna pointed out, eyes narrowing. Leaning forward across the table, the younger woman's eyes narrowed. "And you're stammering. Look Elsa, I know you're lying, but I don't understand why. Were they ugly? Did they have a third eye or something?"

"Th-they j-just weren't my t-type." Elsa said vaguely, muttering her words into her cup.

"So what is your type then?" Anna asked, squinting even further at her sister. Her hands pressed flat against the table as she leaned even further, coming closer to her older sister.

The closer Anna came, the more Elsa seemed to shrink back into her seat. Heart pounding in chest, Elsa opened up her mouth to speak - yet found that no sound could come out.

"Do you like big guys? Small ones? Skinny, like Jasmine's boyfriend? Buff, like that creep that follows Belle everywhere?"

Unable to speak, Elsa simply shook her head. As Anna quizzed her further, Elsa's head continued to shake 'no'.

Growing frustrated with her lack of a response, Anna threw her hands up in the air. "I've listed pretty every type of man in the book by now, Elsa! If none of those kinds of guys are your type, then who does?"

Expecting either a cool retort or a heated outburst from her older sister, Anna was surprised to hear… nothing. As her frustration melted away, Anna looked closer at her older sister - her eyes cast downwards with shame, her lower lip worried between her teeth, the handle of the mug clutched tightly in her hands - and realized that the silence said everything,

"…You don't even like men, do you, Elsa?" Anna said, voice gentle and calm.

Slowly, Elsa looked up. Slowly, she nodded, and rose the cup - trembling in her fingers - to her mouth to drink….

…and nearly spit her drink back out again as she found arms wound tightly around her neck, as Anna pulled Elsa into an enthusiastic hug.

"Oh, Elsa!" The strawberry blonde grinned. "Is that all?"

"Is that all?" Elsa croaked, regaining usage of her voice. "I keep this from you- from everyone!- for years, and all you can say is 'Is that all'?"

Pulling back from the hug slightly, Anna's green gaze met Elsa's blue as she searched her older sister's face.

"Did you think it would matter in the slightest to me, Elsa?" Anna said, voice gentle once again. "You know I love you. Whether you like men or women, it doesn't matter to me - all that matters to me is that you're happy and safe."

Unsure of what to say in response, Elsa merely squirmed on the spot. Feeling her pulse quickening and flush spreading, oddly enough, Elsa broke Anna's serious gaze to tuck her blonde hair behind her ear yet again, looking down bashfully.

"You don't need to say anything" Anna declared, giving Elsa one last squeeze before pulling back. "This makes everything easier, actually."

"Easier?" Elsa's head shot up, and her brows furrowed. "What do you mean, easier?"

"To be honest, I don't know a lot of single men on campus." Anna explained patiently. "All the men I know are taken. But women, on the other hand… I know a lot of single women who'd be interested in you, Elsa."

Giving her sister a look that was wrought with mischief, the strawberry-blonde began to giggle uncontrollably.

"Just wait, Elsa! Soon enough, I'm going to have women lined up outside the door just waiting to take you out on a date! I just need to make a few calls first!"

Elsa's eyes widened. "Anna, don't-"

It was too late. Before she could say any more, Anna fled the room, laughing all the while - and soon, Elsa heard the telltale sound of the door to Anna's room shutting, closing for the night.

Letting out a deep sigh once more, Elsa rubbed at the temple throbbing in her forehead. Looking down at her textbook, she opened up the page she had marked off and attempted to read it once again.

It was only after re-reading the same sentence for the third time in a row did Elsa realize that any attempt at completing her reading had been thwarted. Shutting her book once again, Elsa sat in the silence of the kitchen… before putting her head down on the table and groaning loudly.

"Just _what_ have I gotten myself into?"

* * *

Hello there, if you're reading this. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this story, both my first Frozen story and the first story I have written in quite a while.

This is a story based off a prompt on tumblr by tumblr use onimay:

_Anna and Elsa are going to the same college (Anna is a freshman and Elsa is a senior Architecture major) and Anna thinks it's a shame Elsa's about to graduate without ever cutting loose or even trying the dating scene. Elsa insists that college is about study, not fun. _

_When she finds out her sister is a closeted lesbian, Anna takes it upon herself to set Elsa up with eligible bachelorettes (other college AU Disney ladies) with varying degrees of disaster: Anna's friend Ariel is way underage (what was Anna even thinking!?) and her exchange-student classmate Merida is kind of a selfish brat who is only dating women to try to piss off her mom. Aurora is sweet but shallow narcoleptic. Even the blind date with cougar Professor Maleficent is a bust. Each failure only strengthen's Anna's resolve to find the perfect girlfriend for her sister._

_(Optional plot twist: It's Anna).  
_

So yes. There will be Elsanna eventually. I'll mark off when it comes in for those of you who would rather prefer lesbian shenanigans. I hope you like it so far. If you do, I'd be pleased to hear what you think in a review. As well, I am toying with the idea of keeping in the fantasy element (eg. magic, etc.) and so if you could let me know your opinion on that too, I'd be grateful.


	2. The Mermaid

**Chapter Two: The Mermaid**

* * *

"This was a bad idea." Elsa mumbled to herself, clasping her face in her hands.

Pressing her fingertips against her closed eyes, the woman saw starbursts and swirls of white beneath her shut lids. Shifting her fingers on both hands to rub against her temples gingerly, the blonde woman slowly opened her eyes.

Standing in front of the entrance to a movie theatre, Elsa blinked her eyes slowly to accustom herself to the light. From inside the theatre, she could hear the muffled sounds of movie trailers and low, warm laughter. Although she longed to go in, if only to revel in the rich scent of buttery popcorn, Elsa did not - she had promised Anna that she would wait outside the theatre for her blind date.

Speaking of her sister... as Elsa took out her phone to check the time, she caught sight of her lock screen. Though slightly dimmed and obscured by the password field, one could clearly see a photo of Anna and Elsa posing in a pile of snow back in their home of Arendelle, faces red from the cold and from laughter.

While the photo usually brought a smile to Elsa's face, this time, it only caused her to scowl. Putting her phone back into her pocket, it took everything she had not to raise a hand to her head and rub at her temples again as she began to recall the events that had occurred earlier in the day.

* * *

"Elsa?" Anna called out, shutting the door to their apartment behind her. "I'm back!"

"In here!" Elsa replied loudly.

Seated on the bed inside her room, the older woman put down her pen and paper as she heard her sister come inside. Sure enough, within a few moments, the strawberry blonde bounded into her sister's room with a smile on her face.

"How was your class?" Elsa asked idly, eyes flicking down to the unfinished set of notes in front of her.

"Didn't go." Anna chirped, shrugging off her coat and tossing it onto the floor carelessly.

"...Pardon me?"

"Ah ah!" Anna warned. Hopping onto the bed quickly, the younger woman swept Anna's class notes aside before pressing a finger to her sister's lips.

"Before you start to yell at me," She warned, "I had a good reason to skip."

"And what," Elsa said sternly, after backing away from her sister's touch, "Could _possibly _be a good enough reason for you to skip your classes?"

Anna's only response was to scoot back off the bed. Standing up straight, Anna placed her hands on her hips and looked down at her sister, a cheeky smile spreading slowly across her face.

"Get dressed, Elsa. You've got a date tonight."

Silence reigned while Elsa took a few moments to absorb what Anna had just told her.

"I... I what?"

"You. Have a date. Tonight." Anna repeated, the smile never leaving her face. "Rather than going to class, I spent my time getting in touch with a girl I know. She'll be meeting you at the movies at seven tonight."

"At... where?" Elsa's head was reeling. Crossing her arms over her chest protectively, she looked over her shoulder at her pillows. "I... I think I might need to lie down."

"Wha-No!" Anna huffed, giving Elsa a stern stare. "Don't lie down now! We need to get you ready!"

" 'We'?" Elsa stared at her sister incredulously. "Anna, listen, I told you-"

"-And I told you," Anna interrupted, "That I was going to get you a date. That you need to do more than study and go to class."

"But-"

Anna cut her sister off with a glare, and Elsa could do naught but sigh. It was almost impossible to deal with Anna when she was like this; when the strawberry blonde was determined to do something, nothing could get in her way.

"...Alright then." Elsa said wearily, dropping her arms to her sides. "At least help me find something to wear."

The glare melted off Anna's face almost immediately. Launching herself forward, the younger woman wrapped herself around Elsa in a nearly-bone-crushing hug before rushing over to Elsa's closet and throwing it open with a flourish.

As she began tossing out articles of clothing left and right (much to her ever-neat sister's displeasure), Elsa could only hear Anna's bubbly assurances.

"You're going to have so much fun tonight!"

* * *

"So much fun." Elsa muttered darkly, glancing around once again.

Checking her phone for the time once again, Elsa's face blanched as she saw the time.

Her date was half an hour late.

Shaking her head, Elsa put her phone away. She could handle standing outside - that cold never bothered her, anyways - but being stood up was an affront to Elsa's pride.

As she turned to walk away, however, Elsa heard the sound of footsteps.

"Elsa?"

Hearing someone call her name caused the blonde woman to whip back around, and come face to face with her date.

There, standing before her, was a young woman. Nervously sweeping her bangs to the side as she noticed Elsa looking at her, the young woman tossed her head, causing her red hair to cascade down her shoulders. Biting her bottom lip, coloured nearly as red as her hair, a flash of excitement and nervousness passed through the woman's sea-green eyes.

"You are Elsa... right?" The young woman said again, more cautiously this time.

"Um, I- yes." With a sudden jolt, Elsa realized that she had been caught staring. "I'm Elsa."

A smile broke out on the redhead's face. Stepping forward, she reached out and took one of Elsa's hands into both of hers, and shook it vigorously.

"I'm so glad that I was right," she beamed. "I'm Ariel."

It took all of Elsa's willpower right there and then to fight against the instinct to pull her hand back. It wasn't that it was Ariel; rather, the problem lay in Elsa herself. Though it was something that she constantly tried to change about herself now that she was an adult, old habits tended to die hard.

Though her fingers twitched and she itched to remove Ariel's hands from her own, Elsa managed to remain still, the sounds of Anna's earlier encouragement echoing in her ears. She even managed to shake her hand a little, causing the brilliant smile on Ariel's face to grow even wider.

"Let's go inside." Elsa offered, taking the girl along with her as she turned to open the door to the theatre.

Letting Ariel in first, Elsa dropped the door after her and strode inside. Immediately, both women lined up in the queue that had formed by the ticket booth.

Breathing in deeply, Elsa luxuriated in the rich scent of buttered popcorn. Folding her hands behind her back, she took a look around the lobby of the theatre, before turning back to Ariel, who was chattering animatedly. Rather than speaking, Elsa merely clasped her hands behind her back and listened intently. Although Elsa could handle cordial conversation, personal ones weren't her strongest suit.

Ariel didn't seem to mind; in fact, she provided enough conversation for the both of them (which, in Elsa's opinion, wasn't a bad thing). Her arms moved about as she spoke, telling her story with her hands, and her eyes twinkled with excitement.

"I'm so glad I'm out with you tonight." Ariel said, her happiness practically palpable. "I've heard so much about you from Anna that when she said you were looking for a date, I just had to jump at the chance."

Though Elsa made it a note to question Anna later about 'looking for a date', the woman merely tilted her head and smiled. "Really?"

Ariel bobbed up and down as she nodded. "Oh, absolutely. I mean, Anna just talks about you all the time - it's always 'Elsa this' or 'Elsa that'... she just made you sound absolutely beautiful and amazing."

"And I have to say," Ariel's smile turned bashful, "That everything she said was right."

A rosy blush delicately spread across Elsa's cheeks and up her neck as she heard the praise. Coughing delicately, Elsa couldn't help but smile.

Soon enough, both women were nearing the front of the line. Looking at the choices before them, displayed on a screen alongside the rating and the times they were to be played at, Anna turned to Ariel.

"Which one would you like to see?" She asked.

The redhead next to her tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I'm not sure… are there any that look good to you?"

"Hmm…"

Looking up and down the screen, Elsa's eyes landed on the last name on the list. It was a film that she had been interested in seeing for quite a while; luckily, it would be showing within the next fifteen minutes.

"Would it be alright if we saw that one?" Elsa asked her date, motioning to the film.

Reading the choice presented to her, Ariel fell silent. Elsa thought that it was simply because she was in the midst of making a decision… until the redhead turned to look at her again.

"Well…" Ariel ran a hand through her hair, fiddling with the ends nervously. "I'll… have to pass, unfortunately."

"Oh." Elsa said, disappointed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to impose on you, I know not everyone likes-"

"No, no!" Ariel gasped, touching Elsa on the arm. "It's not that, it's just…"

"Just…?" Elsa prompted, once again resisting the urge to shrug her arm away.

"Just that…" Ariel trailed off, looking away, nervously playing with her hair once again. "…That I can't, really."

"Oh." Elsa said. She paused, before continuing on. "May I ask why?"

"I…" Ariel swallowed thickly, before turning her sea-green eyes onto Elsa once again. "I don't think they'll let me in the theatre. I'm not… technically allowed."

"Not technically-?" Elsa stopped, midsentence, as she realized something.

Looking at the screen once again, Elsa read the information next to the film she wanted to see, more carefully this time. Before, she had focused only on the timeslots; as she read closely, her suspicions were confirmed.

The movie was 'R' –eighteen and up.

Slowly, Elsa turned back to look at her date.

Ariel shrugged and smiled sheepishly.

"So, uh… how about that new kids movie?"

* * *

Holding onto a bag full of popcorn, Elsa stared blankly at the screen before her. Beside her, Ariel continued to talk, trying to fill the silence that had bloomed between the two of them after they had bought their tickets. While Elsa always did her best to listen whenever she was being spoken to, she found that this time, she could not – her mind was working overtime, still trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"Ariel," Elsa began. "How do you know Anna again?"

"Oh…" Ariel blinked. "We're, um, classmates. English. She noticed that I was having a bit of trouble – I had just lost my voice after moving from Atlantica, and she wanted to make me feel comfortable. She's been a really big help to me, you know, and I see her like an older sister of sorts."

" 'Older sister?' " The older woman repeated, confused. "Aren't you the same age?"

"Ah… well, no." Ariel admitted. The redhead twiddled her thumbs, suddenly taking great interest in her hands and lap. "The education system is more or less the same the same as it is here, so that's why I was accepted. But in, um, in Atlantica, we… graduate from high school a bit earlier."

"How much earlier?" Elsa asked, choosing her words carefully.

"…Two years, I think?"

"Which… would make you…"

"Sixteen."

"…Oh."

Suddenly, the theatre darkened.

"Oh look, the movie is starting!" Ariel exclaimed. Taking the bag of popcorn from Elsa, she settled down into her seat, making herself comfortable.

As the redhead leaned forward and fixed her eyes on the movie screen, Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose, hard, to stave off her oncoming headache.

Needless to say, it didn't work.

* * *

"Well that was a fun movie, wasn't it?" Ariel chirped, clinging onto Elsa's arm as they exited the darkened movie theatre.

If Ariel could feel how tense and uncomfortable Elsa was – both from the close contact and the matter of Ariel's age – she didn't let it show. Instead, she smiled up adoringly at Elsa, who only smiled nervously in response.

"It was nice." Elsa lied. It wasn't that she hated the movie; it was simply that she hadn't been able to pay attention. She had been lost in her own thoughts, and when she wasn't, she was super-conscious of the way that Ariel – _sixteen year-old Ariel – _had eventually started to snuggle up to her.

"The music was absolutely beautiful," The redhead continued, seemingly unaware of Elsa's discomfort. "I mean, did you hear that ending song? There was just so much power there. I'm speechless about how young the girl singing was."

"Trust me, I'm speechless about how young that girl was too." Elsa muttered under her breath.

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

"Oh, uh, I just said that I was too." Elsa said quickly, throwing on a winning smile and praying that Ariel hadn't heard her.

Thankfully, her prayers came true. Ariel simply sighed happily, holding Elsa's arm a fraction tighter as they walked out of the theatre together.

As they stepped out into the cold air, Ariel stopped to check her phone while Elsa took a moment to calm her heart, racing for all the wrong reasons. Closing her ice-blue eyes, the blonde took in a deep breath of cold winter air, hoping to fortify herself for what was to come – from the way that Ariel spoke, it seemed that she had no intentions for the night to end just yet.

"Uh, Elsa?"

"Yes?" Elsa responded, opening her eyes.

Clutching her phone in her hand, Ariel looked up at the taller woman with a sheepish smile. "It's embarrassing but… could I ask you a favour?"

"What is it?"

"Well…" Ariel squirmed in her spot. "I know that we were going to stay out longer, but um… would you mind dropping me off at home a bit earlier? Maybe… maybe even right now?"

Though inwardly Elsa was rejoicing at her sudden stroke of good fortune, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of worry for the petite redhead before her. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine." Annoyance flickered along Ariel's features, and she puffed out her cheeks as she spoke.

"It's just my daddy, really. He's very protective. He's not very trusting of strangers, especially those who don't live in the same neighbourhood as us. I told him I would be going out tonight, but now he's just throwing a fit, and I just..."

"I'll take you home." Elsa replied quickly. "Don't worry. We can leave right now."

"Oh thank you Elsa!" Ariel wrapped herself around Elsa's arm once again, cuddling into her shoulder in happiness.

Elsa could only smile weakly, arm twitching once again.

"It's my pleasure. Really."

* * *

When Elsa came into the apartment about half an hour later, Anna was waiting for her at the door.

"Well…?" She asked, grinning. "How did it go?"

Elsa said nothing. Removing her coat and hanging it up in the closet, Elsa took off her shoes before trudging into her room with Anna hot on her heels.

"Ariel's a real gem, isn't she?" Anna continued, apparently oblivious. "Every time I told her about you, her face just lit up, you know? So when I said I'd set you up, I figured the first person I would turn to would be-"

"Jailbait."

Anna stopped suddenly, confused.

"I'm sorry?"

"Two things." Collapsing onto her bed and rolling onto her back, Elsa rose her head and looked at her sister wearily "One – I am not _looking _for a date, Anna, I just let you set it up. And two-"

Elsa sat up fully, fixing her sister with a penetrating stare.

"You. Set me up. With jailbait." She said slowly, pointedly fixating her own blue gaze on Anna's green.

Silence reigned over the room.

Then, all of a sudden, Anna burst out into wild, raucous laughter.

"It's not funny!" Elsa cried out, mortified as Anna doubled over and clutched at her stomach. "I tried to take her to an R rated movie, and she told me I couldn't! When she told me she was sixteen, I nearly had a heart attack! _Sixteen, _Anna! I'm almost twenty two! I couldn't even focus on the movie because I kept thinking that someone had called the police on me!

"In fact, I just had to give her a ride because her _father_ told her to come home early, you know? But she wouldn't let me just drop her off, no, she wanted me to say goodnight to her. The way she clung to my arm when I walked her to the door… her father opened it up suddenly, and when he did, I thought he was going to _slaughter _me!"

This only caused Anna to laugh even harder. Coming forward, the younger woman collapsed on top of the blonde, still laughing. Much less amused, Anna pushed Elsa off of her, causing her sister to roll over and fall onto the floor, where, still, she howled with mirth.

After a few more minutes, Elsa managed to calm down enough to get up off the floor. Putting her elbows on the edge of Elsa's bed, Anna folded her arms and rested her chin on them, managing to speak, her words interrupted by a residual giggle or two.

"I'm sorry that I set you up on a bad date." Anna apologized. "I didn't know Ariel was sixteen. She mentioned being younger before, but I thought she just had a late birthday or something. I didn't know she was that much younger than you."

"It's fine." Elsa sighed, waving a hand in the air. "I just… never thought I'd ever find myself in that position. It's one I don't care to put myself in again."

"So Ariel is a no, then." Anna asked.

"A definite no." Elsa agreed. "Not if I don't want to go to jail."

Murmuring her agreement, the two sisters fell into a comfortable silence. As Elsa stared up at the ceiling she tried hard to forget the image of Ariel's protective father burning holes into her as she walked Ariel to the door.

"Well you know," Anna said a few moments later as an afterthought, "It could have gone much worse."

"I really fail to see how it could have." Elsa said dryly.

Suddenly, Anna's face loomed over her.

"You could have taken her out for a drink." She smirked.

Elsa's only response was to grab a pillow from the head of her bed, and throw it hard into Anna's laughing face.


	3. The Archer

Rough and mostly unedited, but finished. I'm sorry I wasn't able to get it finished earlier, there was a huge blackout in my area that knocked out power for days. Anyways, Im glad this is done now. I struggled a bit with this chapter, which may show in the writing (I think it does, in my opinion) but I hope you enjoy anyways.

Merry Christmas Eve (or Christmas, depending on where you are) to all of you. Have a happy and safe holiday season.

* * *

**Chapter Three: The Archer**

* * *

"Anna, are you sure that this is where we were supposed to meet her?" Elsa asked hesitantly, turning her head and looking around herself.

"Well…" Anna glanced down at her phone, using her thumb to scroll through the messages. "She said that this is the place, but..."

Both sisters fell silent as they looked upwards. Looming over them was the University's Athletics Centre. Made of concrete and glass, the building was impressively large, and had huge glass windows that were tinted dark to provide privacy.

For both Anna and Elsa, it was their first time visiting the centre. Although Elsa had been at the school for four years, she had never once stepped foot inside. As for Anna, it seemed that no matter how much the younger woman ate, she was able to keep her figure slim and trim; a useful trait, considering her fondness for stuffing exceeding amounts of chocolate into her mouth.

Nervously, Elsa turned to look at her sister. "Are you sure you're not looking at the wrong text?"

"No, I'm positive." Anna frowned, double-checking the message. "She said for me to tell you to meet her here, and not anywhere else. Look Anna, I know you're a little nervous, but trust me; she's a perfectly nice woman."

Anna paused.

"…Plus, she's not jailbait. I checked, just to make sure."

Rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest, Elsa turned away from her sister to inspect the building once again. As she looked, unease set into the pit of her stomach- though whether that was due to the imposing building or the woman she was to meet inside, she did not know.

"What did you say her name was again? Maribelle?"

"Merida." An accented voice spoke into Elsa's ear, startling the young woman and causing her to spin on the spot.

The young woman who had crept up upon the two sisters began to laugh boisterously as she caught sight of Elsa's astonished face. Like Ariel, Merida was a redhead – but unlike Ariel, her hair was wild and nearly untamed, like that of a lion's mane. The duffle bag that she carried on her shoulder nearly fell from her grasp as she shook with laughter, struggling to control herself.

"Don't do that, Merida!" Anna gasped in surprise, clutching at her chest.

"Sorry lass," Merida apologized, her contrite lessened by the giggles that interrupted her speech. "I couldn't help myself. Besides, if you think that joke was bad, you should see my brothers. They're nasty triplets, the lot of them, and I guess I should enjoy my time away while I can…"

"I'm guessing that you're not from around here?" Elsa asked, amused.

"Now what gave you that idea?" Merida asked, cocking her head as she stood straight and placed her hands on her shoulders.

"Your vocabulary." Elsa said airily, smiling. "Though the Scottish brogue might have had something to do with that, too."

Merida flashed a roguish grin at Elsa as she walked over to Anna. Clapping the still wheezing girl firmly on the shoulder, Merida nudged her with a hip.

"You really didn't do her justice when you told me about her." She told Anna, giving Elsa a wink in the process.

Rolling her eyes yet again, Elsa couldn't help but chuckle despite herself. Already, she could see that Merida was four things: bold, brash, outspoken, and just like Elsa's own sister.

Finally catching her breath, Anna managed to right herself and stand back up. Looking between Merida and her sister, she clasped her hands together and smiled.

"Well I can see that you two are getting along well." She grinned, swaying on the balls of her feet. "I think I'll just take my leave now, give you two some time to get to know each other more. Alone."

"Much appreciated." Merida said brightly. "Don't you worry, I'll take good care of your sister. You'll get her back in one piece… more or less."

With that, Merida began to stride towards the entrance of the centre, Elsa (rather confusedly) in tow. Waving goodbye to her sister once, Elsa followed the redhead through the doors and into the lobby.

As she entered the building, Elsa was struck by how immense the centre was. She was no stranger to large buildings – her and Anna were rather well off – but even though the centre appeared large on the outside, it was somehow even bigger within.

As Merida turned a corner and led Elsa down a hallway, the older woman rubbed at her arm. While Merida was nice so far, Elsa wasn't exactly a fan of the unexpected.

"So… Merida." Elsa said slowly. "Anna told me you had something interesting planned for today?"

Without once breaking her stride, Merida turned to face Elsa. Continuing to walk, but backwards, Merida spread her arms wide.

"Tell me, Elsa." She said. "What do you do to get your blood pumping?"

Elsa blinked. "Uh… do you mean exercise?"

Merida nodded, continuing to stare intently at Elsa as she walked down the hall.

"Well…" Elsa spoke hesitantly, slightly uncomfortable under Merida's stare. "I'm, uh, actually a fan of, um running. Winter sports too, actually. Especially skating."

Though she nodded in approval, Elsa couldn't help but notice the way that Merida's mouth tightened in – was that distaste?- before she turned back around.

"All good things," She said cheerily, despite the emotion that had passed over her face.

"However," She said with an air of condescension, "None of that really compares to what we do at home in DunBroch."

Though Elsa was less than pleased with Merida's dismissal of some of her favourite activities, she kept a cool head. "What is it that you do, then?"

Coming in front of a set of double doors, Merida looked over her shoulder and smiled.

"This."

Opening the doors, she ushered Elsa inside.

Breathing in the scent of wood that permeated the room, Elsa couldn't help but look around in awe. Set all the way across the room was a series of large targets. There were six set out, with three set further back against the wall and the other three on low-set stands.

In another corner of the immense room, a miniature forest was set up. There were several wooden figures, shaped and painted to look like trees. In between these were figures of animals, ranging from moose to hares, with targets painted onto them.

All around, people stood with bows and arrows in their hands. Some were trying their best to shoot the smaller targets within the forest. Others were rhythmically shooting at the targets set on the other side of the room. However, when Merida came in, everyone turned to look – and a din arose around the room as people began to call her name in greeting.

Laughing at the warm response, Merida nodded to the faces she knew, beckoning at Elsa to follow her.

As the redhead moved, Elsa couldn't help but notice how the eyes started to turn from Merida to Elsa herself. The reactions varied from looks of shock, to knowing smiles, to murmurs – and Elsa couldn't help but be somewhat put off by it all.

"You seem popular." She commented, leaving it there. By nature, Elsa wasn't one to speak to strangers – but it was the little things about Merida so far that made Elsa even more unsure.

"A few of the people that come here are from DunBroch as well." Merida explained as she walked over to a free target. "We've pretty much claimed the range as our own; though whether that's a good or a bad thing, we're not sure."

Setting down her bag, Merida unzipped it and reached inside. With a slight smile on her face, she pulled out a wooden bow and a quiver full of arrows. Slinging the quiver onto her hip, Merida handed the bow to Elsa to hold.

"Today Elsa," Merida grinned, eyes and red hair wild, "You'll learn what it means to try out a _true _sport."

* * *

Half an hour later, Elsa pulled an arrow from her quiver. She lifted the bow to her shoulder and drew back the string and arrow both.

"Concentrate." Merida said quietly, watching from the side intently. "Slow your breathing down. Focus only on where you want the arrow to land."

"Easier said than done." Elsa muttered in response.

"Shush." Merida said, though her voice lacked any real heat. "Hold still and do as I said. It won't be so bad."

Holding her tongue, Elsa steadied herself. Though her arms and shoulders burned with fatigue, the blonde focused instead on the target in front of her. Ignoring the arrows that littered the floor around the target – her previous, unsuccessful attempts – Elsa focused solely on the centre, and the sound of her own breathing.

Breathing in through her nose and exhaling through the mouth one last time, Elsa let the arrow fly...

…And watched, as it sank into the outer ring of the target.

Mouth falling open in surprise, Elsa's shock quickly turned into delight. Turning to Merida, the woman motioned to the target with flailing hands and incoherent squeaks, too overcome to say anything.

"Good job, lass!" Merida cried, clapping her hands together once in delight. "It took me _ages _to properly hit something the first time I used a bow. You're a natural! All you need is a little-"

Merida was interrupted as her phone began to ring. Digging into her pocket and pulling it out, Elsa watched as that same look from earlier passed over her face once more. Excusing herself, Merida stepped away to take the call, and Elsa was left alone.

Taking a moment to gently put the bow down, Elsa let out a groan as she finally relaxed her arms. Taking a seat on a nearby bench, Elsa rolled her shoulders, hoping to alleviate the pain. Closing her eyes and focusing on her senses, it was then that Elsa realized that she was absolutely parched.

Standing up from her seat, Elsa looked around herself. Finding neither drinking fountain nor vending machine, she turned to the doors that she had entered into before and began to walk towards them, aiming to find her drink elsewhere.

Before she could reach the doors however, she was stopped as a man stepped into her path, blocking the doors. Bumping into him, Elsa excused herself and went to move past him… only to be blocked once again. As she looked upwards at him, Elsa was taken aback to realize he was staring directly at her.

The man's green eyes were narrowed and focused upon Elsa as he looked at her from down the bridge of his prominent nose. With burly arms crossed over his chest, Elsa could see the bright blue swirls of a tattoo crawling down his arm from underneath the sleeve of his tight muscle shirt.

Brushing his thick and wavy hair out of his eyes, the man peered at Elsa suspiciously.

"So tell me," He said, speaking with an accent similar to Merida's, "How did you do it?"

"I-I'm sorry?" Elsa asked, taking a step back from the man.

"Merida." He clarified. "How did you get Merida to go on a date with you? I've been trying everything, and she hasn't given me so much as a second glance! How did you get her to say yes to you, and so fast?"

Elsa shifted nervously. "Look, I don't know what I can-"

"Oi! MacIntosh!"

The two were interrupted as another man lumbered over, seemingly out of nowhere. As he approached, Elsa was struck by just how incredibly _huge _this man was. Already, MacIntosh stood well over Elsa – but this man loomed over the both of them.

Blonde hair topped a rounded face, with wide and astonished blue eyes. A thin, nearly clear layer of stubble coated his jaw. He was not only tall, but also wide – and though he moved awkwardly, Elsa could see the power within his steps.

Coming to a halt in front of Elsa and MacIntosh, the man opened his mouth to speak. When he did, however, Elsa was immediately confused. Whereas Merida and Macintosh's accents were fairly easy to understand, his was something else – with the rapidity of his speech alone, not to mention the pronunciation, Elsa had no idea what he was saying.

Apparently, neither did Macintosh, as the brunette simply rolled his eyes. "MacGuffin, I told you, I have no idea what you're saying. Now leave me alone, can't you see I'm trying to ask this girl some important questions?"

MacGuffin made a face. Saying something again in his foreign dialect, he motioned to someone else to come over – someone that made Macintosh groan, and slap a hand to his face.

Stumbling over came one last man. Although he was shorter than the other two, it seemed that his hair made up for it as it stood straight up in a white-blonde shock atop his head. He seemed to lack the strength the other two had (as he was noticeably less built) but even more than that, he seemed much less aware than the other as well. His mouth hung open, while his pale blue eyes stared vacantly at the wall by Elsa's head.

"Of course!" Macintosh snarled at Macguffin. "Of _course _you had to bring wee Dingwall over here! It wasn't enough that you think it's okay to start bothering this girl while I'm talking to her about Merida, was it?"

MacGuffin's face soured. Speaking once again, MacIntosh cut him off, waving a hand in his face.

"Listen lad, I'm only going to _guess _what you just said to me, since you clearly can't speak English. Back off. I'm the one that will win Merida, as soon as I figure it out what she likes from… whatever this girl's name is. So you can take your little pet nitwit-"

Suddenly, Macintosh was interrupted by a hiss. Dingwall, hearing the insult, bared his elongated teeth at the tattooed man, causing MacIntosh's eyes to flash with fear. Putting on a brave face, he swallowed thickly and tried to continue on, though he kept a wary eye on Dingwall as he spoke.

"-You can take wee Dingwall here and shove off, because right now, it's my turn."

Ignoring MacIntosh, MacGuffin easily pushed the muscular man back. Bending over so that he was closer to Elsa, he began to speak rapidly in his dialect once more.

Next to him, MacIntosh began to shout, screaming about his family and his status and the sheer offense he had undergone from MacGuffin laying a hand on him. Meanwhile, Dingwall remained silent – but he was suddenly fixated by Elsa's hair, and came over to gently start to touch it, still staring absently and open-mouthed.

With so much noise and sudden stimulation, Elsa felt her head begin to swim. Breathing rate increasing, Elsa backed away further from the three men. The moment that she did, however, they took a step closer to her – and so this continued, until Elsa was surrounded and backed against a wall.

Wrapping her arms around herself protectively, Elsa's eyes flicked between the three men rapidly as she searched for a way out. Finding a window, Elsa ignored the cries of protest as she ducked underneath MacIntosh's arm and squeezed out behind MacGuffin.

Immediately, Elsa took off running. The bewildered looks she received from other people using the range made Elsa even more self-conscious than she already was, causing her to run faster. Aiming for the doors, Elsa managed to get out without fail.

Taking a moment to breathe in, the blonde was startled as she heard the doors slam open. With wide eyes, she turned around – only to see Dingwall, MacIntosh, and MacGuffin trapped within the frame of the door.

"Get _off _of me you wide oaf!" MacIntosh growled, doing his best to push MacGuffin aside. The man only gibbered angrily, motioning a hand to Dingwall, who was pinning MacIntosh to the side.

As the three men fought over who would go through the door first, Elsa took her chance and fled. Turning down a hallway, Elsa continued to run. Left, right, centre, backwards – Elsa took so many turns that by the time that she slowed down, her head was spinning.

Yet still, she heard the sounds of the three men close by. It seemed that it hadn't taken long at all to detangle them, and so now whenever Elsa took a turn, she heard them, too – until finally, she was caught at the end of a long hallway with nowhere else to go.

"Listen lass," MacIntosh panted, "We just want to-"

Elsa heard no more from his mouth. Near to having a full-blown panic attack, she clutched at herself desperately, eyes darting around hopelessly for another escape plan. Yet no matter where she looked, she could find nothing- and that terrified Elsa more than anything else.

It was only when the men were nearly surrounding Elsa again, that Elsa heard a familiar voice ring out.

"What are you guys doing over there?"

Elsa could hardly believe it.

"Anna?" She called out.

"…Elsa?"

Elsa watched as Anna came barrelling through the wall that the three men made before her. Ignoring their discontent (and MacIntosh's rather unmanly shrieks), Anna immediately approached her sister, looking at her with worried eyes.

"Elsa, are you okay?" She asked, reaching out and laying her hands on Elsa's tense shoulders.

Immediately, Elsa relaxed into her touch. Unable to say much more, she nodded.

Anna spun around, and fixated the three astonished men with her best glare. "What is _wrong _with all of you? Look at her! Cornering a woman and shouting at her, do you have any idea how terrified she must be? You guys are a bunch of-"

"Anna?"

Anna's tirade was interrupted as her name was called this time. Looking over her younger sister's shoulder and through a gap between the men, Elsa saw a flash of fiery red hair and surprised green eyes.

Merida stood at the end of the hallway. Phone dangling from her fingertips, she focused her gaze on the trio of males before her. Jaw tightening visibly, Merida clenched a fist.

"Just what," She said quietly, her voice filling with rage, "Are you lads _doing?"_

Before the men could answer, Merida descended upon them in a furious rage. Accent thickening as her anger increased, Anna and Elsa could only watch as the archer started tossing out obscenities that could make a sailor blush.

As Elsa stared, she could have sworn she heard MacIntosh start to cry.

* * *

"…So that's when I decided to take a tour of the facilities, you know, to get my bearings. Unfortunately, I got lost after using the bathroom, and sort of ended up wandering around for a while."

Anna paused to take a sip of tea from her cup, before passing it on to Elsa. Elsa received the cup gratefully and took a sip herself, enjoying not only the taste of the tea, but the presence of her sister.

The three women had left the centre quickly after the incident occurred. Other than being badly shaken, Elsa was all right; and so the three decided to go to a nearby coffee shop for a drink and a bite to eat.

"I'm such an idiot." Merida growled, smacking her palm against her face. "What was I thinking, leaving you there, when I knew those boys were around? They're taking things way too far."

"Who were those men?" Elsa asked. "They kept trying to get me to tell them how I managed to get a date with you."

"That's why they wouldn't leave you alone?" Anna asked incredulously, turning to look at her sister. "Because they wanted to ask you for _dating advice?"_

As Elsa nodded, Merida groaned and smacked herself in the face once again. Taking her drink into her free hand, the Scottish woman lifted her head and took a long draught. When she was finished, she finally started to speak.

"Y'see, my family is centuries old. So old that even the area where we live is named after the clan we descend from – Clan DunBroch. We're fairly well-to-do, and my mother is fixated on this idea of keeping the line strong.

"I thought when I came to study here, I'd be able to get out from underneath her thumb. She didn't tell me that while she'd let me study here, she'd be sending _those _three alongside me. Since then, they spend every day trying to get my attention. My mother is upset that I won't choose – but its _my _life, not hers. It's why I do my best to ignore them, and why-"

Realizing she had said too much, Merida's face went almost as red as her hair. Shutting her mouth instantly, she rose her cup to her lips and tried to drink it all at once, averting her gaze from the two sisters before her.

" 'And Why' what, Merida?" Anna said suspiciously.

Squinting her eyes, Anna stood and leaned forward. Grasping the bottom of Merida's coffee cup, she pulled it away from the woman's lips forcefully. As the redhead struggled to swallow her mouthful of coffee, Anna continued to lean in and stare at her.

"Nothing!" Merida said nervously, still averting her eyes. "Absolutely nothing!"

"Oh don't give me that-" Anna started to say. She was interrupted as Elsa reached out, and gently laid a hand on the strawberry blonde's shoulder.

Looking back at Elsa, Anna's eyes flashed with concern. Elsa merely gazed evenly back at her. Though no words were shared, none were needed; Anna understood Elsa's message, loud and clear. Sitting back, Anna took her own cup into her hand once again, staring at Merida over the rim.

"Merida." Elsa said quietly, immediately drawing said woman's attention. "What were you going to say?"

Merida was silent, though she squirmed in her seat.

"Merida." Elsa repeated, though her voice softened.

As Elsa turned her ice blue gaze onto Merida, the redhead found her resolve melt away. Though she longed to close her mouth and remain quiet, she sighed, accepting her defeat.

"It's why I do my best to ignore them…" She said, picking up where she had left off. "…And why I asked Anna to set me up with you in the first place."

Elsa's mouth twitched in displeasure as she felt her heart sink. Though Elsa herself said nothing, Anna angrily vocalized everything that Elsa was thinking: "You were using her, _just _to make your mother upset?"

"No, no!" Merida cried out, waving her arms. "Not like that. Not… entirely, at least."

"I always liked hearing about you, Elsa, from Anna, and I wanted to meet you. I thought when I got this date with you that it'd be fun – and making my mother even more upset would be an added bonus. Now that I know you, you're even better than I'd thought. It's not that I don't fancy the ladies m'self, I really do – but it was too much to pass up, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Elsa watched as Merida sat back. Gazing down into her cup, the redhead looked both incredibly ashamed and incredibly angry with herself as her plans came to light.

Perhaps it was that look. Perhaps it was the fact that, despite being a bit of a brat, Merida was a lot of fun. Perhaps it was how similar Merida was to her sister. Whatever it was, something melted Elsa's heart, if only a fraction – she found that she could not stay mad at the girl before her.

Putting her hand on Anna's shoulder once again (for Anna had started to stand at the table, preparing to yell at Merida), Elsa settled her sister back down. Fixating her blue eyes on Merida, Elsa called the younger woman's name, causing her to look up. When she had Merida's attention, Elsa began to speak.

"I can't say that what you did was right." Elsa said firmly to the woman before her. "It wasn't mature. In fact, it was downright selfish."

"But," She continued, stressing the word to keep Merida's attention, "You actually have the courage to tell me this, to my face. I can appreciate that, at least. While I don't think I'll be going on another date with you, anytime soon… I wouldn't mind being your friend."

A bright smile spread across Merida's face.

"You're a saint, Elsa." The redhead sighed in relief. She reached out across the table to touch Elsa's arm gratefully. "An absolute saint, I swear."

"Well I'm not." Anna interjected, annoyed as she shooed Merida's hands away. "And I don't forgive you for what you did."

Merida pouted. "C'mon, Anna. If your sister can forgive me, don't you think you can too? You should take a page from her book. Let it go."

"Let it go?" Anna repeated incredulously. "Oh, I'll tell you who should 'let it go'!"

As the two women started to squabble in front of her (though Merida did so with a smile on her face), Elsa could only shake her head and sigh.

Reaching out and taking the cup that Anna had abandoned, Elsa quickly drained it. Relishing on the taste of peppermint tea on her tongue, the blonde propped her head up on her hand and watched the argument continue between the two friends.

As she did so, a thought passed over her mind.

'_I wonder how much archery lessons cost?'_


End file.
